Living in Lancashire Wave 42

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Purpose	To understand public perception of public transport, roads and streets, and community safety.
Subject	Crime and community safety Road and pavement maintenance and repairs Road safety
Commissioned by	Community Safety Team Environment Directorate

Geographic area	All of Lancashire
Method	Questionnaire - online Questionnaire - postal
Consultation with	Life in Lancashire panel
Date	06/09/2013 - 11/10/2013
Undertaken by	Corporate Research and Intelligence

Results

Key findings	Community safety - When asked how satisfied or dissatisfied respondents are with aspects of their local area, they are most likely to be satisfied with access to green areas (79%), with the cleanliness of the streets and pavements in their local area (62%), and the appearance of the buildings (61%). - Just under nine out of every ten respondents (87%) consider their local area to be safe, with only one in ten (11%) considering it to be unsafe. - Of those respondents who consider their local area to be safe, the most common reasons given for this response are: having a good community or neighbours (26%), a low level of crime (15%) and living in a quiet area without trouble or crime (15%). - Of those respondents who consider their local area to be unsafe, the most common reasons given for this response are: anti-social behaviour (52%), experience of crime (12%) and bad street conditions (9%). - Four-fifths of respondents (81%) say that anti-social behaviour isn't a problem in their local area. - Respondents are most likely to think that dangerous driving (42%) and rubbish or litter are problems in their local area (31%). - More than half of respondents feel that the level of crime in their own area is better compared to both the UK and other areas of Lancashire (52% and 50% respectively). - Just over a third of respondents (36%) believe that people using or dealing drugs is a problem in their area. - In regard to the root causes of crime, respondents were most likely to say that drugs (81%) and alcohol (74%) are a problem. - Just under two-thirds of respondents (63%) agree that crime is dealt with successfully by the police and other local public services, and over half of respondents (56%) agree that anti-social behaviour also is dealt with successfully. - Almost nine out of every ten respondents (89%) say that they would report crime and anti-social behaviour to the police. - Four-fifths of respondents (79%) disagree that offenders get tough enough sentences. Public transport - Over half of respondents have used bus services in Lancashire in the past 12 months (56%). - Over half of respondents who have used the bus in the last 12 months (53%) used bus services at least a few times a month in the last 12 months. - Over half of respondents (56%) who have used bus services in Lancashire in the past 12 months use them for shopping. Around two-fifths of respondents (37%) use them for getting to entertainment or leisure activities. - Of those respondents who have not used bus services in the last 12 months, nearly half of respondents (48%) say they don't use buses because journey times are too long compared to other forms of transport, and a third (34%) say the cost of the service is too high compared to alternative modes of transport. Roads and streets - Around three-fifths of respondents feel that the condition of pavements in Lancashire and their local area has stayed the same in the last six months (56% and 60% respectively). - Over a third of respondents (35%) say that they don't know whether in the last six months the number of potholes on footpaths has reduced for Lancashire and nearly a fifth of respondents don't know for their local area (18%). - Almost three-fifths of respondents are dissatisfied with the condition of the road surfaces in their local area (59%), and with the condition of the road surfaces in Lancashire (57%). - Around two-fifths of respondents feel that road surfaces in Lancashire and their local area have stayed the same over the past six months (43% and 42% respectively). - Just under two-thirds of respondents disagree that the number of potholes on roads in their local area has reduced over the past six months (64%).

Key findings

Community safety
- When asked how satisfied or dissatisfied respondents are with aspects of their local area, they are most likely to be satisfied with access to green areas (79%), with the cleanliness of the streets and pavements in their local area (62%), and the appearance of the buildings (61%).
- Just under nine out of every ten respondents (87%) consider their local area to be safe, with only one in ten (11%) considering it to be unsafe.
- Of those respondents who consider their local area to be safe, the most common reasons given for this response are: having a good community or neighbours (26%), a low level of crime (15%) and living in a quiet area without trouble or crime (15%).
- Of those respondents who consider their local area to be unsafe, the most common reasons given for this response are: anti-social behaviour (52%), experience of crime (12%) and bad street conditions (9%).
- Four-fifths of respondents (81%) say that anti-social behaviour isn't a problem in their local area.
- Respondents are most likely to think that dangerous driving (42%) and rubbish or litter are problems in their local area (31%).
- More than half of respondents feel that the level of crime in their own area is better compared to both the UK and other areas of Lancashire (52% and 50% respectively).
- Just over a third of respondents (36%) believe that people using or dealing drugs is a problem in their area.
- In regard to the root causes of crime, respondents were most likely to say that drugs (81%) and alcohol (74%) are a problem.
- Just under two-thirds of respondents (63%) agree that crime is dealt with successfully by the police and other local public services, and over half of respondents (56%) agree that anti-social behaviour also is dealt with successfully.
- Almost nine out of every ten respondents (89%) say that they would report crime and anti-social behaviour to the police.
- Four-fifths of respondents (79%) disagree that offenders get tough enough sentences.

Public transport
- Over half of respondents have used bus services in Lancashire in the past 12 months (56%).
- Over half of respondents who have used the bus in the last 12 months (53%) used bus services at least a few times a month in the last 12 months.
- Over half of respondents (56%) who have used bus services in Lancashire in the past 12 months use them for shopping. Around two-fifths of respondents (37%) use them for getting to entertainment or leisure activities.
- Of those respondents who have not used bus services in the last 12 months, nearly half of respondents (48%) say they don't use buses because journey times are too long compared to other forms of transport, and a third (34%) say the cost of the service is too high compared to alternative modes of transport.

Roads and streets
- Around three-fifths of respondents feel that the condition of pavements in Lancashire and their local area has stayed the same in the last six months (56% and 60% respectively).
- Over a third of respondents (35%) say that they don't know whether in the last six months the number of potholes on footpaths has reduced for Lancashire and nearly a fifth of respondents don't know for their local area (18%).
- Almost three-fifths of respondents are dissatisfied with the condition of the road surfaces in their local area (59%), and with the condition of the road surfaces in Lancashire (57%).
- Around two-fifths of respondents feel that road surfaces in Lancashire and their local area have stayed the same over the past six months (43% and 42% respectively).
- Just under two-thirds of respondents disagree that the number of potholes on roads in their local area has reduced over the past six months (64%).

Project document(s)

Report(s)

Contact information

For more information about this research contact:

Melissa Sherliker
01772 535019
Email: Livinginlancashire@lancashire.gov.uk